Tool-handle.



No. 825,063. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906. C. G. LAWBAUGH.

TOOL HANDLE;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1905.

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PATENTED JULY s, 1906. 0. 0. LAWBAUGH. TOOL HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1905.

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"o'nfrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOOL-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed June 30,1905. Serial No. 267,839.

To all 1072 0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK C. LAWBAUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodward, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tool-Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in that type of tool-handles which are provided with a recess within which a supplemental tool is adapted to be operated.

It consists more particularly of a puttyknii'e having a combined screw-driver and tack-puller slidably mounted in the handle thereof; and it has for its object to produce a device of this character which, owing to its peculiar construction, will be exceptionally strong and durable, which will be very e'ilective in operation, and which can be 1nanu facturcd at a minimum cost.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge oi the details of construction of the means for efl'ecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l. is a side view of a putty-knife embodying my invention. Fig. 2 .isa longitu dinal sectional view thereof on the line cr -o of Fig. 3, the tool being moved inwardly. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line X-X of Fig. 2, showing the operating lever or catch in full. Fig. 4 is a transverse section or the tool-handle on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a crosssection on the line 'y 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the side pieces as seen from its inner face. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the tool and shank stripped of the adj unctive parts.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates the blade of the putty-knife, the shank 2 of which is thickened and provided with a longitudinal slot 3. A depression 4- is formed on one side of the slot, and on the opposite side there is a recess 5, which serves as a housing for the springheld operatingdever 6 and at one end extends entirely through to the side of the ank 2. The supplemental tool '7 is 'ireferably in the form of ascrew-driver which is provided with a notch 8, so that it may be also used as a claw for pulling tacks or analogous purposes. The shank 9 of the supplemental tool fits within the slot 3 and is provided on one side with a lug 10, which operates in the depression 4 to limit the longitudinal movement of the tool. Notchesi] are located upon one side of the shank 9 and are adapted to engage with the operating-lever 6 to hold the supplemental tool in a locked position either extended or retracted. A spring 12 is interposed between the inner end of the slot 3 and the supplemental tool 7 and is adapted to force the latter automatically into an open position when the operating-lever is released from engagement with the notches 11. The operating-lever 6 is pivotally mounted at 1.3 within the recess 5 and has one of its ends bent inward to engage the notches 11 on the shank of the screw-driver and has its opposite end bent outward and passing through to the outside of the handle. After the supplemental tool 7 has been placed in the slot 3 the sides 14 of the handle are placed in position and secured by pins or other suitable means. .The inner faces of the sides 14 are formed with a recess, within which metal plates 15 lit. It will thus be seen that the supplemental tool 7 operates within a metal housing which is so constructed as to give a maximum amount of strength and durability. Bolsters 16 are placed. at each end of the handle, as usual, and serve as a reinforcing means. A notch 17 is formed on the side of the handle where the end of the operatii'iglever 6 emerges, so that the latter may be ex posed without projecting beyond the side of the handle, and hence there will be no projections to interfere with the free use of the implement. Attention is called to the fact that the operating-lever 6 is so constructed that there are no troublesome projections on the handle of the tool and also that it is very compact and does not necessitate the weakening of the tool by cutting a large recess for its reception.

In order to open the tool when it is in a closed position, it is simply necessary to press inward on the outwardly-extending end of the operating-lever, and thereby release the inner end from engagement with the outermost notch. The spring 12 will then force the supplemental tool outward until the lug 10 comes into contact with the end of the depression 4. The inner end of the operating-lever will then engage with innermost notch to hold the tool in a locked position. The operation of closing the device is just the reverse of that above described.

While the tool 1 is shown as consisting of a blade constituting the ordinary putty-knife, it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention it may have any form, since the novelty resides more particularly in its shank and adjunctive parts cooperating therewith. As shown, the shank2 of the tool 1 is longitudinally slotted, forming the mem bers a and I), which are separated by the intervening slot or space 3, in the outer portion of which the tool 7 is slidably mounted and in the inner portion of which is arranged the spring 1.2, which when the tool 7 is released from the restraining influence of the catch or operating-lever 6 shoots or projects said tool into operative position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

In assembling the parts the operating lever or catch 6 is insertible in the recess 5 from the inner side bordering upon the slot 3, and the tool 7 is placed within the slot 3 by a lateral movement, the lug 10 precluding the slipping of the same within the slot by an endwise movement. After the parts have been arranged within their respective openings the side pieces are placed in position and secured by rivets or fastenings 18, which pass through coincident openings formed in the side pieces or scales and the parts comprising the shank 2. The metal plates 15 are of a width to receive the fastenings 18 and lie against the members a and b and close the open sides of the longitudinal slots 3, thereby retaining the tool 7 and its actuating-spring 12 in position and receiving the wear incident to the sliding of the tool 7 within the handle, as well as sustaining the strain imposed upon said tool when in operation and under lateral stress. It is further noted that the metal plates 15 also perform the office of ties to unite the members a, and b, so as to prevent their spreading when the tool 7 is subjected to strain in the plane of the handle By having the metal plates 15 seated within the inner sides of the scales 14 they are hidden from observation and need not be highly finished and may be struck up or stamped from sheet metal. Moreover, a minimum amount of metal is presented for contact with the hand when the handle of the tool is gripped. This construction admits of the side pieces 14, forming, in effect, the grip,

being of wood or other material which is soothing to the hand and is not affected by the moisture thereof as on metal surfaces.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination, a tool having its shank longitudinally slotted to provide spaced members, a recess formed in one of said members wholly within the sides thereof and open ing through opposite edges, and the opposite member having a depression formed in its inner edge, a tool slidable rectilinearly within the slot or space formed between said members and provided with a lug operable within said depression to limit the movement of the slidable tool in each direction, a catch located in said recess and adapted to make interlocking connection with the slidable tool to hold it in the desired position, and side pieces secured to opposite faces of the tools shank to close the open sides of the slot formed therein and retain the slidable tool in place.

2. A tool having its shank longitudinally slotted to form spaced members, one of said members having a depression upon its inner edge and the other having a recess formed wholly within its side walls and opening into the slot and outward through the outer edge, a tool slidable in the space formed between said members and having a lug operable in said depression, a spring arranged within the inner end portion of said slot, a spring-actuated catch located in said recess and adapted to interlock with the slidable tool to hold it in desired position, side pieces recessed upon their inner faces, and metal plates seated in said recess of the side pieces and closing the open sides of the aforesaid longitudinal slot, confining the slidable tool and its actuatingspring, and attached to the spaced members comprising the tools shank.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARK C. LAWBAUGH. [L. s.

I/Vitnesses:

G. H. THOMLEY, O. M. CRANK. 

